I was surprised at the low ratings and how they pulled down the higher ones; I thought the book excellent.

This was an intelligent and well written story of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, in his own words, from boyhood to his accession as king of Mycenae. Agamemnon takes us through his training as a warrior and his first battle [at night, which he remembers later and will use as a tactic in the Trojan War]. Blooded, he receives his greaves and is given the title of Hero. Due to a boyhood incident in which his brother, Menelaus, takes the blame for him and is punished brutally in his stead, he's told by Atreus several years later:

"I knew you were guilty and you proved yourself a liar and a crook. You see, Agamemnon, a king must be entirely unscrupulous, ready at need to betray his dearest friend -- even his beloved brother. I think you meet the measure very fairly -- just the kind of ruler our treacherous Heroes need."

Thus Atreus designates his heir to the throne. We see through the novel both Atreus and Agamemnon are cruel men; no wonder the House of Atreus was cursed! Both men are reprehensible but I could accept them in the context of the novel, still not liking them. Yes, the Trojan War came after the novel and all events following it, but I enjoyed reading about ante-Trojan War for once.

The story follows Agamemnon through both land and sea battles; the author wrote especially well of those using chariots. We see Agamemnon's personal life and the increased responsibilities Atreus gives him:, as envoy; battle leader; Warden of Mycenae; bridegroom to Clytemnestra; and once he becomes king, his final thoughts of vengeance and how he will use his power since it is now in his grasp:

"Nothing was unattainable. Nothing lay beyond my grasp, beyond the reach of Agamemnon, the king."

To Shipway there were plausible explanations for Greek myths; he gave sensible imaginative non-mythical reasons for many of the legends. He laid out his conception of why the Trojan War was really fought. He considered Helen's abduction by Paris only a precipitating factor, analogous to Princip's assassination of the archduke which set off World War One. There had been deep-rooted causes for each.

I recommend this book highly for a different slant on an ancient Greek hero. ( )